Product Reviews for Ariens ST 8526LE

I have a 1128DLE and loved it so much that I bought The 8526LE for my Dad and Sister.

The machine has drift cutters that are standard for this unit which is nice. Being used to the pro differential, I wished it had one as it is hard to maneuver with both wheels locked and it is a pain to bend over to lock and unlock.

It throws snow plenty far and cuts through EOD nicely. The newer larger gearbox is an improvement over earlier models.

I use the machine to cut through 18 inches of snow for about 150 feet to clear out an area for a burn barrel. No problems going up a slight upgrade until the steep part. Chains would have helped but I remedied the problem by backing upwhere I just cleared and used gravity to overcomethe 15 degree grade.

Date Purchased: 11/04Price Paid: $899Recommend: Yes

Pros:

Quality steel unit. Highly recommended. For the money, it is an excellent machine.

Well the new machine got LOTS of use today! I put it to the test with lots of EOD heavy wet stuff. At least 10 houses and they were all done twice. We got aprox 15 inches of snow but with 50 MPH winds, we had some deeeep drifts! The engine runs wonderful...starts with ease. I used the electric start for the first start and the pull cord for every other start. The machine also feels very well built but there is a bit of flex in the handle bars.

Over all9 out of 10

Brian Chang

Date Purchased: 4/05Price Paid: $850Recommend: Yes

Pros:

Powerful and really will throw snow 40 feet!Seeing your neighbors struggle with lesser machines!!!!I like being able to take both hands off the machine and it still runs. (My old Ariens had a safety lever)The tires provide extreme traction (see below for the other side)Engine starts on first pull as long as you use the chokeThat little shovel thing is great. I used it at least 3 times.

Cons:

Reverse is so slow that it is useless! So I had the push down on the bars and pull it back. (I now have a killer backache!)The tires have so much grip that it makes turning VERY hard. I prefer Ariens old tires...it is not like I ever got stuck with em!My right wrist/hand is tired from squeezing the auger lever.I guess having the throttle on the dash would be nice.

Purchased this in the crate from Home Depot as I prefer to set it up myself and do the initial run in, check oil, etc. The materials used in the unit are top notch, strong metal everywhere and all the controls operate smooth. Set up was a snap, just unfold the handle bars, and screw the chute into place, pop on a couple clips. After initial run-in the cables needed a tiny bit of adjustment but the belts were nearly perfect. They will most likely need adjustment after some more use. Our first big storm here was a 2 foot blizzard, the unit throws snow far and the remote deflector control and chute crank are excellent when you only have a small space to put the snow like me. I did have to tighten up both the deflector and rotation nuts to stop the chute from moving on its own, but that's expected. To keep the deflector from moving under heavy snow load, you do have to make the control pretty tight, but that allows for minor adjustments by tapping the control with your hand, which turns out to work really well for me since I have to be somewhat "precise" on where I'm throwing.

The engine has plenty of power and shoved even the heavy icy end of driveway snow plenty far, even when the chute was turned against the impeller rotation. The serrated auger helps break up this chunky snow too. Pulls start on the first pull even in 0 degree weather (my power in the garage went out).

The wheels have good traction due to the new deeper narrower design, they break free occasionally but I don't see a need for chains (not supposed to use them on these new ones anyway). With both wheels locked, it is a bit tough to turn but the traction is well worth it. When on flat surfaces with a single wheel engaged it goes very well and is much easier to turn, but I leave both engaged to get the better traction and you just get used to tricks to steering it this way.

The one big issue I have with this unit is the factory assembly, I ran into several issues, first with one of the bolts holding the shoes being stripped out, then with a missing cotter pin that caused the drive control to fall apart and required disassembly to fix and some excess wear, a missing bolt, a loose electrical connection, and some other things that were missed, and would suggest a rushed assembly. I feel few or none of these things would have been found by a dealer assembling the unit, they were issues with the factory assembly and in the case of the cotter pin, internal and hidden.

Overall an extremely solid unit that I am confident won't break or give out for a long time. My one suggestion would be to do a very thorough inspection including removing the bottom cover if you can. I hope Ariens works to remedy their QC problems soon as they have great products

Date Purchased: 10/2004Price Paid: $899Recommend: Yes

Pros:

-Solid unit, strong, great design-Plenty of power, this "midrange" unit handled 4 foot drifts and 2 feet of end of driveway snow with ease.-Remote chute rotation and angle controls are a godsend.-Support very helpful and responsive

Cons:

Factory assembly needs better QA or more experienced workers, as there are numerous flaws and missed items being reported by many people, in my case it was a small part missing that caused a major malfunction. Ariens support however was very responsive in helping to resolve the issues.

8.5 HP Teucmseh runs great, easy starting and strong. Snowblower does fantastic job of throwing snow. Chute has convenient and easy controls. I ran it into some substantial huge drifts and, as long as the chute had an open space to throw it, it blew right through them. This snowblowers performance exceeded my expectations, but handling is less than desirable.

Very, very hard to turn with both wheels pinned in place for traction, pulls to one side if only one wheel is engaged by the pin drive system and requires considerable strength to run straight. A machine this size really needs a differental.

It would also benefit by a throttle control within easy reach for both engine shutdown and as an engine speed control. I find the throttle control difficult to use with mittened hands, and icing on the control has been a problem between uses when I've parked outside during a storm.

"Snow Hog" tires would also benefit by tire chains. I find it won't climb onto a 3" curb without a good shove and a bounce. My old Ariens climbed right on with chains and smaller tires.